Several themes from this series circle back and connect with this passage. There is an immediate recognition of who Jesus is, and what he is known for. Something that may stand out is the crowd depicted as wanting to “touch even the hem of his clothing.” Maybe the story of the woman in Mark 5 had gotten out particularly fast. (Perhaps as fast as viral social media stories today?) Nevertheless, there was something about the man or the myth that drew people to Jesus.

Mark 6:53-56 (CEB)53When Jesus and his disciples had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret, anchored the boat, 54and came ashore. People immediately recognized Jesus 55and ran around that whole region bringing sick people on their mats to wherever they heard he was. 56Wherever he went—villages, cities, or farming communities—they would place the sick in the marketplaces and beg him to allow them to touch even the hem of his clothing. Everyone who touched him was healed.

Consider these questions:

What sorts of people were coming to Jesus? Were they like you, or unlike you, and in what way?

Why do you think Mark specified various locales in this short account? (villages, cities, and farming communities)

What does the last sentence of this passage mean to you or to your community? – “Everyone who touched him was healed.”